Tracey Emin/Edvard Munch – The Loneliness of the Soul. A new show of works by Emin inspired by Munch at the Royal Academy, London. An intriguing exhibition showing the influence of Munch, Emin’s ‘friend in art’, on her artistic development and in her practice. Here we see the parallels in their work as they explore emotion in art.
Lynette Yiadom-Boakye is a fascinating contemporary artist. She’s also very prolific, which is apparent at the new show of her work at Tate Britain. Painted from her imagination, this collection of figurative works gives a satisfying insight into her creative process.
Turner’s Modern World at Tate Britain – a welcome chance to see the artist’s thought processes, passions, fierce desire for social justice and representations of contemporary conflict. Yes, we’ve seen many of these pictures before but it’s a treat to view rarely-seen paintings, sketches and engravings which provide a richer insight into Turner’s life, views and work.
Arctic: culture and climate. A new exhibition at the British Museum shines a fascinating spotlight on the many indigenous Peoples who live, and have lived, in the arctic circle which girdles the northernmost area of the planet. Arctic Peoples have faced so many challenges over the centuries and demonstrate remarkable survival skills and ingenious use of the region’s natural resources .
SIN – just what is it? We think of the Seven Deadly Sins with troublesome things like gluttony, pride and lust but artists have made more subtle interpretations. A small but perfectly formed show at the National Gallery, London, brings together some of its most famous ‘sin-centred’ paintings along with loans from other galleries. Humans will transgress but what really is a sin? How should it be defined? Intriguing stuff.
Artemesia at The National Gallery, London, is a sensational show. What an artist, what a woman and how committed Artemesia Gentileschi was in pursuing her art and forging an international reputation. Women artists from the 17th Century are rare enough but she is also remarkable for the fortitude with which she confronted appalling abuse as a young woman and followed her own passions to lead a life of freedom to express her artistic ambitions. Her narrative paintings reflect her scorn of abusive men which finds form in images of grisly violence and vengeance.
‘Summer’ Exhibition at the Royal Academy 2020. It’s September and time for… yes, The Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy. Postponed because of the pandemic, this 252nd annual extravaganza of art can finally be viewed. It’s a credit to the dedicated team at the gallery that they have managed to hang the show and present it to the public before the year is done. And what a treat it is to finally view the selected artworks in the the Piccadilly galleries. It’s the usual pick and mix of artworks, some by the great and good from the art world, and others by gifted artists who submitted their work at the start of the year and were lucky enough to be selected for a spot on the wall. Here’s my own pick and mix of the art on show.
The Tantra exhibition at the British Museum is certainly enlightening! With no idea what to expect I was intrigued by the collection of sculptures, artworks and documents which express this ancient philosophy and religion which has influenced Hinduism and Buddhism and even the counterculture of the 1960s. Apart from the interest in and celebration of sex it’s also a surprisingly violent and bloodthirsty religion. And who knew that Tantric art was the source of the iconic tongue which promoted the Rolling Stones!
